Soak apricot pieces in orange juice for 1 hour
Add all dry ingredients to food processor and pulse a few times to break up the pieces (or process for about 5 seconds)
Add apricots, soak juice and honey and process briefly until all mixed in but still lumpy
Spread out on a non stick sheet about 12mm (1/4 in) thick (see below)
Dehydrate for about 4 hours at 50°C (125°F) Flip over on to a mesh tray
Turn down to 43°C (110°F) and continue drying until dry – at least overnight
Cut into bars and pipe chocolate lines on top (as in picture above) or simply spread with chocolate
Store in an airtight container in the fridge
If you decide to leave the chocolate layer out then you can store in the cupboard

Soak cashews for 6 hours and drain
Blend cashews, lemon juice, mango and agave until smooth. It may be necessary to turn off the blender at intervals and scrape down the sides
Add coconut oil and blend to combine
Pour over crust
Spread passion fruit over filling and swirl around
Set in fridge
Cut into wedges and decorate with cashew cream to serve
*suitable to freeze

In blender process cashews and water to a smooth paste. You may have to turn off the blender so you can scrape down the sides occasionally
Add agave and oil and process to mix well. Check sweetness and adjust if necessary
Store in fridge - suitable to freeze

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When transitioning to a healthy, organic, high raw lifestyle many people end up pulling their hair out because their loved ones often don't share their passion and even totally reject the new regime.

I am frequently asked how to deal with this and here are 4 suggestions I have based on my personal experience:

1/ "Be the change you want to see" or in other words "lead by example"

When I first went on a high raw diet 11 years ago, my children were 11 and 14 years of age respectively. They had been brought up on a diet which included generous servings of processed food and were not about to jump on the raw food train. While I wanted my kids to be healthy I knew that forcing them to eat a raw diet was not the answer. Instead I just stuck with my program and offered them yummy raw meals and treats when they came to my place. Eight years later without preaching (too much :-) about the benefits of raw food they have both adopted a very healthy high raw diet of their own accord.

2/ Only keep healthy unprocessed foods in your home.

This may not be possible if your spouse enjoys meat pies and ice cream, however, it is possible if you have young children and your spouse is on board. This way your kids choice is defined by what is in your fridge and pantry. If your kids pester you about having processed foods that are on TV or that their friends are eating, let them sometimes try them when you go out. If they have been eating well at home they will probably feel ill eating junk food and will self-regulate anyway. Again, prohibition clearly does not work.

3/ Create a healthy food imprint in toddlers.

Research has shown that the types of food that we are fed at a very early age are often the very foods we are drawn to throughout out our entire lives especially when we are stressed and looking for comfort. This is known as the "Food Imprint". Some researchers believe that even by offering a baby breastmilk when they are distressed but not actually hungry can set the child up for eating disorders later in life. Similarly offering toddlers treats and food when they are upset can also set up unhealthy eating habits if left unexamined can perpetuate throughout the child's adult life.

Imagine being drawn to having a green smoothie or some leafy greens when you are looking for comfort food instead of chocolate, cakes or chips!

4/ Green Smoothies

Green smoothies are the perfect way to introduce family, friends and colleagues to the power of living foods. Even if they are still eating lots of processed foods, many people are willing to have just one green smoothie a day. We have many testimonials from people reporting that by adding just one green smoothie a day they have:

lost their cravings for sugar, junk food, coffee and alcohol

have developed a craving for fresh leafy greens

have more energy and feel happier

have improved health in all areas from diabetes to skin conditions to digestion conditions

lost weight (when needed)

Remember all of the above happen just by adding one green smoothie a day without making major dietary changes.

All you need is a good blender that can really make all the fibre in the smoothie go nice and creamy and smooth. This is important as thorough blending allows more nutrition is released from the cells and it is a much more pleasant experience not having chunks of fiberous greens floating around your smoothie!

Bee Pollen – rich source of high-quality protein since it contains all the essential amino acids plus quite a few more. Bee pollen contains vitamins A, B, C, and E, and is extraordinarily rich in most of the B vitamins, including folic acid (folate).

Chia Seeds – High in omega 3, 22% protein, a powerful source of the antioxidants that protect delicate essential fatty acids from oxidation

Cacao – high in antioxidants and magnesium and mood enhancing chemicals such as Anandamine

Maca – balances hormones, increases energy, full of minerals, vitamins, and protein, containing many of the essential amino acids, and particularly rich in calcium and magnesium.

Camu CamuBerry powder – nature's highest source of vitamin C

Lucuma Powder – High in betacarotene, niacin (B3) and iron

Mesquite Meal – High in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, and is rich in the amino acid lysine

Sea Vegetables – most sea vegetables including sea weeds such as kelp, Nori, dulse, arame and wakame to name a few contain highest levels of trace minerals and iodine that you will find in any foods. These important minerals are often found lacking even in organically grown produce.

There are many many more superfoods available with more arriving on the market all the time.

I embarked on a high raw food diet in 2004. In that time I have experimented with a wide variety of approaches including low fat, high sugar (from fruit), low sugar and higher fat, vegan and non-vegan, 75% raw to 100% raw.

So which is the best approach? I would have to say all of them and none of them. I have experienced the healthiest, happiest years of my life since eating a high raw, whole food diet and it appears to me that avoiding processed foods is more important than getting obsessed with what percentage raw I am eating. In retrospect, perhaps it would be more accurate to say the best approach is to remain aware and flexible and act accordingly. My body’s requirements change over time and what works for me today may not work tomorrow. If I am stuck in an ideology of how I “should” be eating, I may ignore or miss by body’s signals and innate wisdom.

I am currently on an 80% – 90% raw food, low glycemic diet that includes animal protein (eggs, goats kefir, fish) and lots of cultured veggies and this is working very well for me. If anything I am feeling better than when I was experimenting with a 100% raw vegan approach.

What has been a constant through out my eight years of experimenting are the following seven things:

I have completely avoided refined/processed foods

I have maintained a high percentage of raw food 75% or more

Leafy greens have remained central to my diet (including juices, salads and smoothies)

I haven’t drunk coffee or alcohol or taken pharmaceutical or recreational drugs

I have exercised on a regular basis

Animal protein has remained under 10% of my diet

I have eaten organic wherever possible

By sticking to the above guidelines I have had more energy and been healthier than I was during my 20s and 30s with cold symptoms only showing up 3 times in the eight years as opposed to 1-3 times a year!

A typical day might look like this:

First thing in the morning - 500ml of green juice made in my Kuvings Silent Juicer with 1ml of Oceans Alive Marine Phytoplankton, 1 ml of Fulvic Acid. 10 drops of Crystal Energy.

Lunch – A big green salad with avocado, dulse or wakame seaweed and sometimes some with some lightly baked local fish – I often drizzle my salads with apple cider vinegar and hemp oil and when out of Australia I will sprinkle hemp nuts on top as well.

Slice tomato into thick rounds. Remove the flesh from a coconut keeping it as intact as possible.

Start to layer the tomato, 2 spinach leaves, coconut flesh, asparagus spears, and repeat again with the tomato, spinach leaves, coconut flesh, asparagus spears until you are left with 1 tomato slice. Place this tomato slice on top. Drizzlewith balsamic vinegar and coconut oil and add hemp seeds to garnish if desired.

Ingredients

Directions

Mix together the chia seeds with the coconut water in a small bowl or glass. Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring once. After the chia has gelatinized, mix in the Berry Ultimate Antioxidant Blend powder, yacon syrup, and lemon juice. For best results, allow mixture to set for 30 minutes before serving. Will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

Your gut literally serves as your second brain. It even
produces more of the neurotransmitter serotonin— which is known to have a
beneficial influence on your mood—than your brain does! 80 percent of
your immune system is located in your digestive system, making a healthy
gut a major focal point if you want to maintain optimal health.

Your gut is quite literally your second brain - it
originates from the same type of tissue as your brain! During foetal
development, one part turns into your central nervous system, while the
other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are
connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from
your brain stem down to your abdomen. Hence your gut and your brain work
in tandem, each influencing the other. This explains why the health of
your intestines can have such a profound effect on your mental health.*

Some of the important bacteria are:

Bifidobacterium bifidum

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Bifidobacterium longum

Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Lactobacillus casei

Lactobacillus bulgaricus

Some food sources of good quality probiotics I often recommend clients to incorporate into their diet are:

One of the most common questions I get asked in my clinic is
how do I start a raw food diet? My response it depends on why you are
starting on the raw food journey. Are you bringing in raw because of
health issues or do you wish to feel generally healthier, lighter, more
energetic? If you are used to a lifestyle of caffeine, alcohol, fast
foods or smoking, going raw quickly can create the most uncomfortable
detoxification results whereas if you start with a few changes, you give
your body time to adapt, detoxify slowly and more easily.

The
easiest way to slide into a raw lifestyle is to start with juices or
smoothies. These have the most gentle way of detoxing the body while
loading you with vital nutrients and enzymes. I am personally fond of
green juices or green smoothies and alternating them with red juices.
They are simple, tasty and easy.

Green smoothies are extremely alkaline which is where we
want our bodies to be. An acidic body is a body inviting disease in.
Foods such as meat, all dairy though cheese especially, alcohol and
sugars are highly acidic. Some nuts can be quite acidic also e.g.
walnuts. When our bodies are alkaline, we absorb nutrients better, our
cells function more effectively and we detoxify quicker and easier.

A highly nutritious green smoothie base is lebanese
cucumber (for its gentle diuretic effect in helping to remove toxins),
cos lettuce (also known as Romaine lettuce – the most nutritious lettuce
available), celery (gentle diuretic and alkaline) and parsley (unless
you are breastfeeding). Parsley is a great blood cleanser and booster of
red blood cells. You can substitute in herbs such as Lambs Quarters or
Borage instead. Add in a banana or two – I prefer mine frozen as it
makes the smoothie thicker. A basic recipe would look like this:

1 lebanese cucumber peeled

6 cos lettuce leaves

3-4 stalks celery

2-3 stalks parsley

1-2 frozen bananas

250 – 500mls water

Add all to the Vitacrush or Vitamix blender with alkalised & ionised water (if possible) and blend briefly.

The red juice recipe:

1-2 carrots

¼ kent or Jap pumpkin

1 small sliver of ginger

1 small sliver of tumeric

2-3 leaves red cabbage

2-3 apples

¼ beetroot

Add all to the blender and blend briefly.

Red juices are fanastic for repairing and tonifying the
liver. Go easy on the beetroot as it can stimulate liver function. That
is why I only recommend ¼ of a beetroot. At this dose, it repairs and
tonifies beautifully.

Experiment with these recipes for a few weeks and see the
improvement in your life. Once you have been drinking raw foods for a
while, you will start to want to try other forms of raw food too. A
dehydrator is an excellent purchase as you can create divine treats and
meals so easily while keeping all the nutrients in your food!

RECIPES

Pecan-Wild Rice Loaf

Ingredients

3 cups pecans, soaked 1 hour

2 cups carrots

1 red bell (red capsicum) pepper

1/2 cup shallot or onion

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1 cup sprouted mung beans or sunflower sprouts

1 cup sprouted wild rice

2 1/2 lemons, juiced

2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)

Nama Shoyu and/or Celtic sea salt, to taste

Method

Put pecans and carrots through the Champion,
Samson or Lexcon juicer with the blank in place. It comes out like a
paté. Set aside in a large bowl.

Put the red bell pepper (red capsicum), shallots or
onion, basil and parsley into a food processor & blend well using
the "S" blade. Add this mixture into the paté.

Then, add in the sprouted mung beans and wild
rice, lemon juice and spices. Mix very well by hand. Taste and adjust
flavors. Shape into a loaf and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish
with pecan halves and red bell pepper (red capsicum) rings.

Serves 6. Keeps 2-3 days in refrigerator.

Orange-Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups cranberries

1 orange, juiced

1 orange, cut into pieces peel from 1/4 of an orange, finely grated. (Make sure the rind is not artificially coloured)

1/2 cup walnuts, soaked overnight (or for at least 1 hour)

3-4 tbsp. raw honey

Method

Put all ingredients into a food processor and process to a sauce consistency.

Makes approx. 1 pint or 600mls. Keeps for up to two
weeks, if you lock the refrigerator otherwise it has the nasty habit of
disappearing (especially when my son discovers it's location)! Goes
well with the Pecan-Wild Rice Loaf.